Church of St Sabinus, Woolacombe facts for kids
The Church of St Sabinus is the Church of England parish church in Woolacombe, Devon. It is special because it's the only church in the United Kingdom named after St Sabinus of Canosa. Since 1985, it has been a Grade II* listed building, which means it's an important historical building. The church is part of the Diocese of Exeter.
Contents
Why is it called St Sabinus?
It's a bit of a mystery why this church is named after St Sabinus. Long ago, in the 13th century, there was another chapel dedicated to him in nearby Barnstaple, but it's gone now.
There's a popular local story that the church is actually named after a different St Sabinus. This legend says he was a Celtic saint from Ireland who was shipwrecked on Woolacombe Sands. However, there's no real historical proof for this story.
Lady Rosalie Chichester was from the important Chichester Family who owned land nearby. People believe she helped choose the name. She traveled a lot in Italy, where she might have learned about St Sabinus. She might also have known about the old chapel in Barnstaple.
A Look Back: The Church's History
Before the current church, there was a smaller building called the "Iron Church." It was about 200 yards up the hill from Woolacombe. This church was built for the many Victorian tourists visiting the village. It was made bigger in 1895 to include a chancel.
The Chichester Family, whose home was at Arlington Court about 15 miles away, helped pay for this first church. Later, they started a fundraising effort for a permanent church for the town. The Chichester Family gave the land, £200, and the stone needed to build the new church.
The famous architect W. D. Caröe designed the new church. It was built between 1909 and 1912 and officially opened in 1912. The church is located on the main road into the village. It was designed to stand strong against the winter storms from the Atlantic Ocean.
In 1977, the church became part of the Ilfracombe Team Ministry. Today, about 65 people are on its official membership list, and around 60 people attend church each Sunday.
What the Church Looks Like Inside
The church is built from red sandstone blocks with stone details. It has Delabole slate roofs that come to a point at the ends. The main part of the church, called the nave, and the chancel (the area near the altar) have narrow aisles. These aisles have flat roofs on the north side. There's also a tower that isn't perfectly centered, and it has a special saddleback roof.
The north aisle was only finished in 1965 because there wasn't enough money before. The aisles have low windows with three sections. The chancel is a little narrower than the nave. It has three arched openings and a waggon roof with carved decorations.
Inside, you'll see a fancy wooden screen with a grille separating the chancel. The eight-sided baptismal font, used for baptisms, has flower-like decorations and was made in 1916. The pulpit, where sermons are given, is a bit older, from 1914. There are also two seats called sedilia with special windows, and a piscina (a basin for washing sacred vessels) with a scalloped base.
The church has beautiful stained glass windows. Some were made by the studio of Charles Eamer Kempe and others by Archibald Keightley Nicholson. One window shows the story of St Sabinus being shipwrecked at Woolacombe Sands. It was put in in 1969 to remember Ernest John "Jack" Watts, a Royal Marine commando who died in 1946.
Another window, installed in 1969, is dedicated to the Colville Family. The War Memorial Window, from 1919, was also made by the Kempe studio. The Nutman Window, by Archibald Nicholson, is dedicated to Captain William John Nutman. He was captain of the ship SS Aidar and received the Albert Medal First Class from Queen Victoria. He earned it for bravely saving an injured crewman during a storm in the Mediterranean Sea on January 19, 1896.
Gallery
-
View down the nave
-
Window dedicated to Captain William John Nutman, AM
-
Detail of the Nutman Window showing SS Aidar
-
The pulpit dates to 1914
-
The distinctive glass screen at the rear of the church
